Scoring the Gig

1. Scoring the Gig Ian Maxwell Sheila Kennedy Michael Patterson Tommy Gracy Career Skills for the Discerning UConn Musician

2. What’s the big deal? • Musicians face unique challenges • Low/inconsistent income • Extreme Competition • Benefits? Maybe? Sometimes? • Musical Entrepreneurship • Self Promotion • Networking • Managing multiple incomes • Our Independent Study Process • We Interviewed professors.What was their professional experience? • Research Career Skills Answer the Question: How can we be ready to score the gig once we get out of school?

3. Self-Promotion “You’re going to hear ‘no thank you’ a lot more than you’re going to hear ‘okay, sign here, here’s your lucrative orchestral contract.’”

4. Self Promotion • Marketing yourself = pounding pavement • “Cold Calling” →10 calls, 1 lead • What are the tools you use to demonstrate your skills and musical background?

5. Tools of the Trade • Contact information • Education and Training • Degree, GPA • Major/Principal teachers • Summer Festivals • Performance Experience • Ensembles • Operatic Roles • Repertoire • Compositions/Arrangements • Recordings • Competitions • Honors/Awards The Résumé • Piques the reader’s interest → gets you in for interview or audition • Start by making a list; what musical work have you done? • Eastman Resume Writing Guide • UConn Resume Guidebook

6. Career Development UConn Center for Career Development https://career.uconn.edu/ • Résumé Help • Career Consulting • Practice Interviews • Internships search Peabody Music and Entrepreneurship Career Center

7. The Website “It’s got the things that concert promoters are always asking for: bios, photos, the press kit, contact information.” “It has to be clean, informative, and to the point.”

8. The Website • As if your Resume wasn’t enough! (It isn’t…) • Essential marketing tool → shows big picture • Quick way for prospective employers to gauge you • Shows professionalism • Clean website = instant legitimacy

9. The Website: Your Resume, on Crack-Cocaine Your Website Should Have… • The Checklist • Get professional headshots done • Get recordings → UConn records all concerts…did you have a solo? • Get good quality video of your recitals • Make your own! Start a SoundCloud • Write a bio/have one written • How to Write a Killer Artist Bio • Your bio • Headshots/pictures from performances • Videos of performances • Audio recordings • Your résumé/CV • Contact information • Reviews/news(maybe even a blog!)

10. Websites: Places to Start Some Helpful Links: • Expert Tips for the Best Musician and Band Websites • Your Multimedia Resume: The EPK (Electronic Press Kit) • Get your Website Seen: Search Engine Optimization • Social Media → The Art of the Fire Facebook Events • Advice on Writing your Bio Free Websites • Easy to update yourself • Don’t have to wait for somebody to do it for you • Fairly flexible • ….free • www.weebly.com • www.wix.com • www.wordpress.com Paid Example https://bandzoogle.com/features • https://www.joomla.org/

11. Networking: Schmoozing for Gigs “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” “Identify people who are doing what it is you aspire to do, and find out how they got to where they are. Get to know them.”

12. Professional Associations • Join a professional association • Excellent for networking: colleagues, mentors, prospective employers • Learn about upcoming opportunities • Stay current in your field • Student discount memberships Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) College Music Society Chorus America Chamber Music America Society of Composers International Society for the Performing Arts FB Page

13. Summer Festivals • Laurel, Bowdoin, Tanglewood, etc. • Top-notch networking • Donors, future colleagues from all different schools • Today’s orchestra buddy, tomorrow’s Josh Bell? • Premier new music • Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Totally. • Scholarships and fellowships are almost always available • Check outside the music office for information • Directory of Summer Festivals

14. Colleagues can endorse you for skills • Find new opportunities and hidden jobs • Reach out to potential mentors! • Bother Ian on LinkedIn Professional Social Network • Opportunity to showcase: • Education • Professional experiences • Accomplishments • Special projects • Multimedia Samples

15. Musicians need multiple income sources You might have a steady gig, but early on, it may not pay the bills You need a day job with flexibility! Keeps nights and weekends open for gigs/rehearsals Leverages transferable skills Supplementary Income:“The Side Gig”

16. What are transferable skills? • Also known as “soft skills” • As a musician, you develop many of them! • Skills that can be applied to wide range of jobs regardless of direct experience • Talk about skills developed in rehearsal • Great for when you are applying for jobs in or outside of music • Shows what skills you bring to the table when talking to prospective employers • Gained in Rehearsal • Interpersonal communication • Organizational skills • Problem solving • Teamwork • Detail orientation • Time management • Leadership

17. More Transferable Skills Bassett, P. (2013) Benefits beyond Music: Transferable Skills for Adult Life (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England

18. “Contracting” Work Some Day Job Ideas • Uber Driver • Lyft Driver • Uber Eats • Amazon Flex • Private music studio (lessons) • Fitness instructor/personal trainer • Restaurant work • Pet care services • Private tutor • Piano tuner/technician • Social media manager • Car service/taxi • Event catering • Side Jobs For Working Musicians • Careers In Music —Day Job Search

19. Gig Resources Auditions Plus - Directory for Audition Postings Peabody Job Search Resources International Musician - Orchestral Opportunity Database Choral Net - Classifieds for Choral Opportunities Indeed.com - Church Music Jobs Search Engine for Music Competitions American Composers Forum

20. Find Guidance “The more important thing is that I consult with people who have expertise in areas where I aspire to excel.” • Find mentorship! • Teachers, Professors, Professionals • Never be afraid to ask • Talk to people who do what you want to do • Ask them out for coffee, lunch, interview them • We did interviews, too — see what we found out!